Introducing

Fairview
Costa Mesa

121 acres in the heart of Orange County, becoming one of coastal Southern California's largest new neighborhoods.

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0homes in the base plan
0affordable in draft plan
0homes studied in the higher-density scenario

The Short Version

Four things to know before the hearings.

01 · Not final

The plan is a range.

2,300 homes in the base plan, up to 4,000 studied. Nothing is locked until the hearings end.

02 · Who builds it

A master developer.

The State will sell the land to a builder who has to deliver whatever plan gets adopted.

03 · The reality

It is happening.

This is state land committed to housing. Stopping it is not on the table. Shaping it is.

04 · Your move

Participation works.

Email the project team, join the mailing list, or show up at 77 Fair Drive. All the ways →

The Story

For sixty years it served California. Its next chapter is housing.

The Fairview Developmental Center opened in 1959 and served Californians with developmental disabilities for six decades before closing in 2021. What remains is extraordinary: 121 contiguous, publicly owned acres beside Harbor Boulevard, wrapped by the Costa Mesa Golf Course, minutes from the coast.

The State of California intends to sell the property to a master developer, and the City of Costa Mesa is leading a community-driven Specific Plan to shape what gets built. Housing, across a full range of incomes, has been identified as the priority use, with deed-restricted homes for individuals with developmental disabilities honored first in line.

Official conceptual site plan from the City of Costa Mesa draft Specific Plan

The City's official draft site plan. Tap to explore.

Bird's-eye rendering of the planned Fairview neighborhood looking across Harbor Boulevard

A neighborhood, rendered.

Conceptual rendering from the City of Costa Mesa's Draft Specific Plan (Figure 6-1), looking across Harbor Boulevard.

Location

The middle of everything Orange County.

Costa Mesa

Adjacent to Harbor Boulevard on the city's west side, surrounded by the Costa Mesa Golf Course.

Minutes to jobs

Close to the 405 and 55 freeways, South Coast Metro, and John Wayne Airport.

Near the coast

A short drive to Newport Beach and Huntington Beach, with year-round coastal climate.

The actual site today: 121 state-owned acres west of Harbor Boulevard, wrapped by the Costa Mesa Golf Course. Outline approximate. Imagery © Esri and contributors; map data © OpenStreetMap. If the map does not load, view the site on Google Maps.

The Vision

A complete neighborhood, not just a project.

Homes for every income

The draft plan sets aside 40 percent of homes as affordable for very low and low income households, with moderate income homes alongside market-rate housing.

Parks and paseos

Open space woven through the site, with the golf course as a permanent green edge.

A five-minute life

Neighborhood-serving retail and services planned within a short walk of every front door.

A promise kept

Deed-restricted homes for individuals with developmental disabilities carry the site's legacy forward.

The Plan

What the draft Specific Plan contemplates today.

ComponentDraft Specific Plan
Total homes, base plan2,300 units
Higher-density scenarioUp to 4,000 units, studied in the Draft EIR
Very low income575 units
Low income345 units
Moderate income690 units
Above moderate690 units
Also plannedState complex-needs homes, mixed-income state housing on up to 20 acres, a 15-acre Emergency Operations Center, neighborhood-serving uses

The plan is really a range, not a single number. The base plan carries 2,300 homes, and the environmental review formally studies a higher-density scenario of up to 4,000 homes on the same land. Which end of that range Costa Mesa builds is exactly what the hearings ahead will decide, and it is the single biggest choice left in the process.

Draft plan figures are sourced from the City of Costa Mesa's Specific Plan materials at fdcplan.com. This site is an independent introduction to the project and is not affiliated with the City of Costa Mesa or the State of California.

Timeline

Where the process stands.

January 1959

Fairview opens

Fairview State Hospital opens on 752 acres, serving Californians with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

1979

Land to the city

Much of the original acreage transfers to the City of Costa Mesa; the golf course now wraps the remaining campus on three sides.

2016

Closure approved

The State approves a closure plan as care shifts to community and group-home settings. By the early 2020s the campus has largely emptied.

September 2023

Planning begins

The City of Costa Mesa initiates a community-led Specific Plan for the site, with housing named the priority use.

2025

Hearings and scoping

Planning Commission sessions in May, June, and August; a City Council hearing October 21; environmental scoping November 17.

March 2026

Draft plan released

The Public Review Draft Specific Plan and Draft Environmental Impact Report are published for community review.

Late 2026

Adoption targeted

Hearings continue toward adoption, after which the State selects a master developer to buy the land and build the plan.

FAQ

Quick answers.

What is the Fairview Developmental Center site?

A 121-acre state-owned property in Costa Mesa, formerly a residential facility for Californians with developmental disabilities, now planned for redevelopment with housing as the priority use.

Who owns the land and who decides what gets built?

The State of California owns the property and will sell it to a master developer. The City of Costa Mesa leads the land planning through its Specific Plan process, shaped by community input.

How many homes are planned?

Two numbers matter. The base draft plan carries 2,300 homes, and the Draft Environmental Impact Report also studies a higher-density scenario of up to 4,000 homes. The public process will decide where in that range the final plan lands.

How much of the housing will be affordable?

In the draft plan, 920 of 2,300 homes, about 40 percent, are affordable homes for very low and low income households. A further 690 homes are designated moderate income, and deed-restricted homes for individuals with developmental disabilities are prioritized.

When will construction start?

The Specific Plan targets adoption around the end of 2026, followed by the State's disposition to a master developer. Construction timing follows entitlement and sale.

Want the deeper story?

The full concept study behind this introduction, including the density scenarios and phasing concept, is available on request.

Request the study Official city plan site